Step 2: Assembly

Step 3: All done

Now its time to fill your window box with soil and plant some vegetables. I put my window box in a nice sunny window, after a few days I could see th...

During winter it's hard to grow your own veggies without them freezing to death. We still want our fresh vegetables but don't have a glass house to put them in, so I decided to build myself an indoor window box.

Step 1: Materials

I went along to a local building supply recycler and found a length of tin spouting. The spouting was about 130mm square, 1800mm long and made from colour steel which is tin with a baked on colour coating. The spouting cost me NZ $8.00.

After a look thru my wood pile I found some untreated 150x150x20mm timber for the ends of my window box.

Step 2: Assembly

Measure the inside of the spouting, across the bottom and up the sides.
Mark and cut two pieces of your untreated wood so they fit snugly in the ends of the spouting.

Pre-drill the spouting about 10mm in from the edge and put a bead of sealant along the edge. The sealant is simply to stop water leaking out around the ends onto my window sills.

Use wood screws to secure the ends of your window box on.

I used four self adhesive rubber feet on the bottom of the window box so the screws on the bottom dont scratch the window sill.

Step 3: All done

Now its time to fill your window box with soil and plant some vegetables. I put my window box in a nice sunny window, after a few days I could see the lettuces had grown!!

Brilliant idea. I had a similar one for work as a way of inspiring staff to make their own lunches and grab herbs and salads from the windowsill garden. We haven't done it yet, but this certainly gives inspiration.... thank you, I'll pass it on in my Facebook page.

This build looks more like a box than something I'd depend on to really hold water, especially if I'm picking it up as a second-hand gutter. (Ever seen someone throw away a gutter that was perfectly leak free?) I'd seal it and then line it with plastic. Another alternative is to use PVC with holes where you want the plants or cut lengthwise into two long troughs. That way you have caps and sealant easily available.

Additionally, this needs to be in a South-Facing window with zero shade from neighbors or trees.

Sometimes. If you use good-quality planting soil it isn't bad. I don't think I've gotten bugs with this planter, but I've had it in storage outside for a while while I am working on other projects. Usually you get bugs when your soil or plants are contaminated with aphid eggs. I also had trouble with them when I lived in an old apartment from them coming from the next-door apartment, presumably.

I think the biggest problem with any indoor flowering plant/vegetable is cross-polination. I made a point to shuffle the plants with my hands when they were flowering to hopefully help in that. (or use a paintbrush) It's not really sturdy enough (at least mine, at nearly 5 feet) to carry outside for the day, but you could try that or simply take the screen off the window for a few hours. Just make sure you have a fly swatter around!

You can also buy a spray from a gardening center usually called blossom set.then give the flowers a spritz ( follow directions on product ) Note: Fruit / veggies will be seedless! Great for tomatoes used for juice or sauce

Did you purchase your soil or did you use soil obtained from outdoors? To catch the little buggers find a bottle or use an empty plastic soda bottle ( clear is best so you can see how many you trapped) and pour in some vinegar 2 tablespoons is enough but enough to cover the bottom is better. Roll a piece of paper to make a funnel so that you have a hole that is pencil diameter or smaller. ( top diameter the larger the better but large enough so that it will not fall into your bottle) Use tape to secure your funnel together and then tape the funnel to the top of the bottle. Set your trap near your soil.. Happy hunting

If you put your plants as close as possible to the light source,"GROW LIGHT" or shoplight, I mean 1/4" away that will help greatly...the shoplight won't give off any heat to hurt your little plants...grab it and find out, its cool to the touch barely warm, I let them touch the lights, also if you want strong stems turn a fan on low or medium and let it gently stir the stems in turn they will become strong and stocky....try it ok!

I live in Canada… [Winnipeg to be exact and it gets really cold here] I just use pots with drainage on the bottoms and grow my own herbs like Thyme, Chives, Cherry Tomatoes <- hanging or upside down, and Oregano <-very easy... I'm still planning to experiment with other stuff like lettuce and small peppers. The most important thing is to have a really good sunny window, also just a cheap normal florescent garage light. You get the exact same result as an expensive grow light-but keep it close to the plants for extra warmth and longer daylight [at least 10 hours a day of real and fake light combined]. Also caulk your windows really well to prevent drafts and to keep them warmer! A shelf by the window is best instead of on the window well. Hope this helps... But i really like the design up above, maybe I can get more plants in this way???

Container plantings do best with drainage. If you were to raise the gutter garden a little, and drill holes in the bottom, you could put cups or something to catch the runnoff. You would want to put a circle of sealant around the holes so that the water would drip straight into your cup, and not run down the gutter..

I have got spinach planted as well but I haven't tried carrots yet. I will have to have a look for them next time I'm in the plant shop. Thanks Lettuce, spinach etc are good cause you can pick the leaves off them without pulling the whole plant and they keep on growing.